Page 23 of My Boss's Sons

“I can’t train your sons.” There. I’d said it.

“No?”

I shook my head and gave him the story I’d built up while storming up to his office. “I’m busy, Mr. Anderson. My workload is completely full and training your sons would impede my ability to get that work done.”

His eyebrows raised slowly. “Is that right?”

I nodded. “I’m very sorry to turn down this opportunity, but I won’t be able to get all of my work done with them around.”

“So you barged in here to tell me that you won’t be doing the thing I asked you to do.” He stood up and came around his deskthe way he always did. “Could this attitude have something to do with you never receiving the promotions you apply for, Sophia?”

“It’s because I have so much work and want to do it well that I’m unable to do this, Mr. Anderson. It’s not my job and I don’t want my actual job to suffer.” I fought the urge to cringe when he walked around me and placed his hands on my shoulders.

“Sophia, you’re the only person available. There’s only one way you’re going to get out of working with my sons.” He lightly rubbed my shoulders. “You’re so tense, Sophia. That’s not good for productivity.”

I ground my teeth together and pressed my fists into my thighs to avoid lashing out. “What’s the one way to get out of this?”

“You work under me.” He leaned even closer to me and I felt his breath on my neck. “Directly under me.”

I stood up and walked towards the door. “No.”

“What’s the issue? You’ve proven to have great secretarial skills throughout the years and I’d be lucky to have you working so closely with me.”

I could still feel the ghosts of his hands on my shoulders and I hated every second of it. “No, thank you. If you won’t make other arrangements for them to intern with someone else, I’ll manage.”

Gerald cleared his throat and waited until I looked back at him to make his point clear. “I’m only lenient with my employees so many times before I get angry, Sophia. Don’t ever come into my office uninvited again.”

Without responding I walked out and didn’t look back. There was no way in hell I was working under him. Each time I was alone with him I felt like he crossed more and more lines. I had no proof because he kept things subtle enough that HR wouldn’t be able to do a single thing.

I was stuck with the guys.

20

***Sophia***

“Wait. Let me get this straight. Your Friday night hookups are your boss’s sons? And now you have to be their boss?” Ava threw her head back and laughed. “This is too good!”

I narrowed my eyes and gave Ava the sign to zip her lips when Lily came back to the table. “Did you find John Cena?”

Lily held up her stuffed seal and grinned. She’d lost her front two teeth a few weeks earlier and her grin was officially the cutest thing I’d ever seen. “He was hiding in the dryer again.”

Milo leaned over and patted John Cena on the head. “Stay out of the dryer, young man. That’s no place for a guy like you.”

“John Cena was swimming in a puddle of paint when I got home so he had to go for a swim in the washing machine.” I took a bite of mashed potatoes and waved my spoon at Ava. “Your new painting is good, by the way.”

“Don’t change the subject. I need to talk about your boyfriends. What are you going to do about them?” She bounced in her seat. “Besides date themallover that office building…”

Lily perked up. “You have boyfriends, Mom?”

“I don’t.”

“She does.” Ava laughed at my angry face. “Your mom has three boyfriends who like her very much. It’s cute.”

“I want to meet them, Mom!” Lily bounced in her seat just like her aunt. “Do you kiss them?”

A knock on the front door saved me from having to answer any of her other questions. “I’ll be right back. No more talk about boyfriends.”

“Oh, there’s going to be a lot more talk about boyfriends!” Ava was having a great time at my expense. “I may even need that diagram about how things worked the other night.”

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